Rapunzel, My Dearie
by ScarletCyan
Summary: Even the purest of hearts can fall for one made up of darkness, because the purest see past that dark side into the real person. This has been true for many love stories, but not all end happily.
1. Prologue

Prologue

As a child my mother would bring me various things home to keep me quiet or from asking questions. Among these things were dolls and paint but mostly books. I would always read fairy tales where the handsome prince would come and save the beautiful princess. And because of those stories I would dream my prince would come and take me away from this horrid tower.

As I grew older my wish of that happening grew stronger. I would imagine what grass would feel like under my bare feet or what it would be like to swim in the river or to climb a tree. I would always beg my mother "Please! Can't I go out this once?" And she would always respond with "Rapunzel, we've spoken about this, you are never to leave this tower. Ever!" My other was always quick to get upset when this conversation would come up. And I was slightly dumbfounded by that. I would soon be 18 and that meant I would soon be a woman. When I would brings this up mother would say "I know Rapunzel, but I would become lonely without you. I'd become a shriveled up old woman.

Little did I know she was telling the truth. that time I didn't realize my dream of leaving would come true soon. And it wasn't going to be my prince charming or a night in shining armor. What I didn't know though was that something much darker and even crueler would be the one to take me from here.


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own anything that deals with OUAT or Rapunzel, sadly.

Chapter 1

Rapunzel sat in her high Ivory tower, reading, which wasn't to unusual. She had grown to love reading when she had nothing else to consume her time. She usually spent her time sketching or painting, but after many years of this she had no more space upon the walls for her murals, not to mention she had run out of pages in her sketchbook. So she had settled for a book instead, it was a good book by some author she had never heard of, not that she had heard of many. It was about some girl who fell in love with a man who was secretly a prince, and it really had hit the romantic in her. Rapunzel had always dreamed of love, but deep down she felt she would never actually be able to experience it. But that was beside the point, her mother had gotten the book from the market she had been told of so many times before. She was then suddenly pulled from her thoughts at the sound of her mother calling to her from the bottom of the large tower. She then quickly rushed over to the window and lowered her long hair down for her mother to grab onto it, after she was sure her mother was safely gripping onto the base of her hair, she began to pull. This task wasn't to hard since her mother was quite slim and small, And soon enough Gothel was walking into the interior of the rower. Rapunzel was pretty excited that her mother was home, having wanted to speak to her about the matter of her birthday tomorrow. She had wanted to ask her mother to go into town again, but this year something was different, she would be eighteen.

* * *

Gothel had asked Rapunzel to sing to her as she did every week. The ritual was for Rapunzel to grab her mothers favorite chair and get the hair brush, and as she would sit on the lower singing the tune she had learned so long ago, her mother would brush her hair. She didn't understand it, but she never questioned. So there she sat on the cold, cobble floor as always, singing, while her mother brushed her hair with the antique, soft bristled brush. Thinking now was as good a time as any she stopped singing as the song came to and end and began to speak "mother, there is something I've been wanting to speak to you about" she said turn her head slightly to see her mother stop brushing her hair. "What is it this time, Rapunzel?" she asked in a exasperated tone. "I just though since tomorrow I'll be eighteen, maybe you could finally let me... go into town?" she asked nervously. "Rapunzel, we've spoken about this, and I haven't changed my mind. You are to NEVER go outside of this tower" she told her daughter, her voice raising slightly. "Yes, mother" Rapunzel replied, crestfallen. "Now, Rapunzel, don't be upset. I only do this for your safety, it's a cruel world out there, full of horrid and evil people. Is there anything else you would like?" she asked, trying to get the girls mind off the idea of leaving. Rapunzel then thought a moment as to what else she would like, she had been wanting a new sketchbook, but the thing she wanted most was that paint made from berries her mother had gotten her several years ago. She had recently run out of it and was in desperate need of some more. "How about that berry paint?" she asked timidly. "But that is such a long trip" she said at first, but then seeing the girl's forlorn gaze, she changed her mind immediately. "Okay, fine, I will leave bright and early tomorrow. I should be back before night fall." Rapunzel's face the suddenly brightened, hearing her mother change her mind, even if she couldn't go out at least she'd have something to occupy herself with.

* * *

The next morning Gothel left bright and early, leaving Rapunzel to her chores. She began by dusting and then moved onto sweeping and after that came mopping. She then took a short break while the floors dried, eating a light breakfast of toast and marmalade, accompanied by a tall glass of juice. After the floor dried she swept again to make sure she had gotten everything up, and then went upstairs to make up the beds and begin the laundry washing it in a large basin of water the hanging the now rang out clothes around the tower. After finishing her chores she grabbed a book and sat down in a chair. After several moments she turned her head after hearing a almost inaudible popping noise, which had kind of of frightened, fearing the many stories Gothel had told her. The ones which involved thiefs, cannibals, and murderers. She became even more frightened by the sight that came to face her. It was...

* * *

Author's Note: Sorry this took so long I've had a lot going on for the last several months. I hope you enjoy! Also, don't you just LOVE cliffys.


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